Inhumane Economics

May 9, 2020
By Kishore Jayabalan

Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is in a bind. Inaugurated just sixteen months ago, after campaigning to “fix the damn roads,” she must now deal with an unprecedented public health crisis, a cratering economy, a state legislature controlled by Republicans, and small but noisy protests in Lansing. On top of all this, she may also be Joe Biden’s running mate in the November elections.

Michiganders cannot reasonably expect the governor to handle so many problems without making mistakes. So despite her now-rescinded state-of-emergency measures banning lawn mowing, selling house paint, and motor boating, Whitmer still has high approval ratings. In times of crisis, citizens want their executives to act decisively, with haste if not perfect foresight.